Did you know that a hotel porter job could be the starting point for a long and exciting career in the hospitality industry?
Instead of looking for outside talent, many hotels prefer to promote people from within their ranks. If you’re adaptable, energetic, and dedicated to excellent customer service, you’ll find yourself moving up the ladder to other departments in no time.
We’ve already told you how to become a top hotel porter. Now, we want to go further and give you some expert tips that will help you crush it at work and get promoted in no time.
From how you should conduct yourself at work to what to do when you’re off the clock to help prepare for the next shift, we’ve got you covered!
1 - Keep your energy up!
As a porter, you will always be on the move, carrying luggage for your guests and lending a helping hand wherever it’s needed. You must be physically fit and have enough stamina to be able to keep up the pace for a long and busy shift.
A great way to do this is by making sure you are taking care of yourself outside of the hotel. It’s important to stretch before and after every shift, get eight hours of sleep, and maintain a healthy diet.
Doing so will give you the energy you need to consistently deliver an excellent guest experience without running out of gas by the end of the day.
2 - Get to know your guests!
Great customer service is all about the little details and a personal, human touch that makes the experience special and memorable.
As a porter, you’ll be interacting with the guests just as much as the other hotel departments and in an even more personal way. They are trusting you with their belongings so it’s much more intimate than just checking-in at the front desk
You should try to make your guests feel as comfortable as possible by introducing yourself and letting them know their bags are in safe hands.
Hotel guests often give tips to their porters, so going the extra mile to make your guests feel special will help your bottom line, as well.
3 - Keep your local knowledge up-to-date!
This might not seem like something that a hotel porter should focus on but it’s actually quite important.
When guests need assistance or have a question, they often ask the first person on staff that they think might have an answer. Sometimes, that person happens to be you, the porter, so you should be ready to help.
You might have to act as an informal concierge and give a guest a recommendation for a local restaurant, where to go shopping, or how to get to the nearest train station. This means you should know your surroundings and be prepared to assist if they ask for it.
Having a deep well of knowledge about the city in which you work will put you in line for promotion up to the guest services department.
4 - A friendly attitude will take you far!
One of the most important things you need to succeed as a porter is a friendly, positive attitude. You should always be running to help your guests with a smile on your face and a skip in your step.
You might be the first person a guest interacts with when they arrive at a hotel so you should give them a warm welcome. Introduce yourself, make eye-contact, and tell them you’re here to help them however you can. This will make you stand out and make guests more likely to leave a generous tip or provide glowing feedback to your managers.
A positive and adaptable attitude is also important for getting on well with your co-workers. Porters often interact and work with many different departments in the hotel, so building a friendly rapport with other staff members will help your chances of being promoted to those teams in the future.
Excelling in this role is a great way to get your foot in the door of the hospitality industry. If you think you have what it takes to crush it, check out the open porter positions available on Hosco today!
